Fluoroscope for the oral cavity and method of making the same



Nov. 7, 1939. f I A, F CONT() 2.79.249

FLUOROSCOPE FOR THE ORAL CAVITY AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME 'Filed May 29, 1937 Ugg/Z620 FCO/z Zz) Patented Nov. 7, 1939 FLIURSCPE FR THE @RAL CAVITYAND METHD 0F M1/UNG THE Armanda F. @ontag Chicago, Ill.

` i lpplicaticn May 29, i937, SerialNovfM5A59 6 Claims.

damaging the iiuorescent material.`

A further object of the invention is the `provision and production of a fluoroscopic screen r wherein a uorescent material is so enclosed that the screen assembly can safely be employed in the `art of, for example, dentistry to produce Roentgen ray images within the oral cavity.

. Other objects of the invention include the corn- `binations and arrangements of parts and anovel `method for making such a fluoroscopic screen, all as hereinafter disclosed and as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawing: Fig. lis` a perspective View oi a `dental Iluorc scope embodying some of the features of the inn Vention;`

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the fluoroscope shown in Fig. l and shows it partially in cross section to bring out certain asseinbly details; o Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on a larger scale than that employed hitherto to bring out the structural details of the iiuoroscopic screen and holder therefor.; o JW l `Fig. 4 is a View illustrative of a step in the novel -method and shows the elements of the fluoroscopic screen in unassembled relationship;

`Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the `eleine-:nis shown in -r a sly, the seal being partially ren cvedgytlm of clarity and illustrative of another step in the `novel method of the invention;4

Fig. 6 is a view similar to. that shownin` Fig. 3 and `is illustrative of another embodiment of the 45 invention; s

f Fig. '7 is a view illustrating a gauge mounted ,on the fluoroscope handle; `and `Fig. 8 is a section taken jon line 8-8 of Fig. 7. In dental surgery as well as other branches of surgery practiced in the oral' cavity, Roentgen ray or X-ray machines are frequently employed to make highly desirable, if not necessary, diagnoses before proceeding with thetreatment. .as now employed, only skiagraphy is practiced in such surgery. Thus, a considerable delay is necessitated between examination and the treatment. Such` delay is caused by the necessity for developing the illrn to produce a skiogram. Be-

cause of that delay, the patient is subjected to great inconvenience and frequently the danger tion that it can be readily sterilized without (c1. 25o-sm of a development of an acute condition during thedelay, not to mention the pain which often is attendant upon alictions in the oral cavity.

Fluoroscopes have been employed for bringing out Roentgen-ray or X-ray images, Without necessitating the use oi a nlm and the consequent delay in developing it. Such fluoroscopes, however, have been of such a size that they could not be employed in dental surgery for that reason alone. l In addition, such known fluoroscopes have been so constructed that anyattempt to sterilize them by the sterilization agentsemployed in dentistry Would destroy the iiuoroscent properties of the fluorescent material.

in order to lavoid the foregoing difficulties and to attain the objects of this invention, I have provided as` illustrated in the drawing a fluoroscope comprising a fluoroscopic screen ll and a holder ll. therefor which are so constructed and assembled that they may be employed for sur gical diagnosis of the kind already mentioned inthe oral cavity and that may be sterilized without destroying or endangering the fluorescent properties of the screen ll in any of the soluticnscommonly employed for sterilization of similar surgical apparatus. t

The holder l2 may be constructed of any suitable material in any convenient or desirable form. As illustrated in Figs. 1, il,v and 3, itcomprises a screen holding member E3 of, `for eX- ample, ring-like configuration with a screen supporting base portion M and a peripheral flange portion l5 upstanding from the base portion i4. The size of the screen holding member l3is such that it can be conveniently inserted into the oral cavity through the mouth and, as illustrated, is 'made from metal and is preferably carried at the en'd of an outwardly projecting stem or shank member lli, the outer end of which is provided with a member `Il forming aconvenient handle for the fluoroscope.

The rluorcscopic screen l l is adapted to be carried in the ring-shaped holding member` i3 between the supporting base portion I4 and, for example, a split, resilientretaining ring I8. The ring lil is engageable in a groove i9 at the inner side` of the peripheral ilange portion las shown best Ain Fig. 3 for holding the screen Ill in place. `An object of the present invention is to provide fluoroscopic screen `which can be sterilized' without injury to, or destruction of, its fiuoros- Y cent propertiesv To that end, I provide a sheetlike member 2lv of substantially the` same coniiguration as that of the holding member lli, which may made clear Pyralin, "or =1 any other transparent sheet material which is not soluble in, example, Abbotts metaphen solution or other similar solutions commonly employed for sterilization in surgery. A` similar sheetdike material of black Pyralin las as shown at 2?; in Figs. 3 and 4 or of clear Pyralin as shown at 23 in Fig. 6 together with a spacer ring 2li, also of the same material as the members 2l, 22 and 23, cooperate with the member 2| to provide a container for a suitable fluorescent material E5 which, for convenience, has been illustrated in Fig. 4 in more or less solid form but which may, of course, take other forms such as the crystalline form illustrated in Fig. 3.

In assembling the novel container for the fluorescent material 25 to make the iiuoroscopic screen il, the ring is placed on one of the members 2l, 22 or 23 and the iluorescent material 25 is arranged in the ring on that member. The other sheet-like member 2l, 22 or 23' is then placed against the ringl, at the side thereof opposite the rst mentioned sheetlike member and the screen `so assembled is ready for sealing.v As a seal, I prefer to use a lin ret/ une although other tions be employed. That sealing material is spread about the peripheral edge oi the screen H assembled as just described above and provides' an edge seal 27 .which is impervious to the sterilization agents described herein and which hermetically seals the container about the iiuorescent material.

When only one of the transparent sheet-like members El or 23 is used With the opaque sheetlike member 22, as shown in Fig. 3, an image surface r Window is provided at one side of the container by means of which the image may be viewed. If it is desired, such an image surface or Window may be provided at both sides of the container, as shown in Fig. 6, by employing the transparent, sheet-like members at opposite sides of the container.

The screen il as thus assembled and sealed may be inserted in the holder it and secured in place by the retaining ring lli or other securing means. A fluoroscope thus made can be employed to exhibit Roentgen ray or X-ray images through or on the sheet-like member 2t or through or on the sheet-like member As so constructed, it may be employed in the oral cavity and may be sterilized Without injury to its fluorescent properties.

In Fig. l of the drawing, a hollow shield 28 is shown mounted on the handle il. The shield is of such siae as to enable the operator to insert his hand or a portion thereof into the same for protection against the X-rays during use of the instrument. The shield may be made of metal or of rubber impregnated with lead or of other material which resists penetration of the rays.

In Fig. 7, a gauge 22 is shown and is slidably secured to the handle il by any suitable means such as a clip The gauge comprises a ring 3l Within which and between suitable discs 32 carried by the ring (one disc only being shown) is fluorescent material which glows when affected by the rays in an X-ray shield. One or both the discs 32 are therefore of clear or transparent material. The gauge is adjustable along the handle and also angularly with respect thereto for indicating the margin of the X-ray field so as to enable the operator to guard against excessive exposure or his hands to the rays.

While I have described a preferred embodiment or my invention, many mcdications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the seal 21 may be resistant to phenylene solutions, other than the metaphen specically referred to hereinbefore ane i -stead or Pyralin or any other sheetlike material may be employed which is not soluble in the sterilizing agent to be used. I-IoW- ever, where a plasticized nitro-cellulose sheet such as Pyralin, other suitable is ernployed, the sealing material in solution preferably is such that it Will soften the edges of the sheets and when dried form a sealing lm or band common to the edges oi the sheets and integrally bonded thereto. I do not, therefore, Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself to all changes Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

LA dental fluoroscope comprising a pair of sheet-like members, at least one of which is transparent, substantially ring-shaped spacer member arranged between said sheet-like mem-- bers rer spacing them apart, fluorescent material in the space defined by the ring-shaped member between said sheet-like members, and a peripheral edge integral with said sheetlile members holding and said ringshaped member in assembled relationship about said fluorescent material and hermetically sealing said fluorescent material therein.

2. A method of making a fiuoroscope, which comprises arranging a fluorescent material in a space provided between a transparent sheetlike member of acetone solubility characteristics and another sheet-like member of similar solubility characterstics, and applying a solution of Pyralin about the edges of the sheet-like members to provide an annular sealing ring integral with both sheet-like members for hermetically sealing the fluorescent Inaterial therebetween.

3. A method of making a dental luoroscope adapted to be sterilized, which comprises forming a container with a pair of discs of soluble material, at least one of which is transparent, and a spacer ring therebetween, arranging a fluorescent material in said container, securing the container in assembled relationship about said fluorescent material, and hermetically sealing the container about theperipheral edges of said discs with a film-forming solution comprising a solvent capable of producing an integral bond between the iilrn and the peripheral edges of said discs.

4. A method of hermetically sealing iluorescent material between sheets of plasticized material which comprises applying to the edge of the sheets a common band of i'llm forming material in a solution which is a solvent for the sheet material, and thereafter evaporating the solvent from the band to provide a sealing lm common to the edges of and integrally united to said sheets.

5. A dental luoroscope comprising a fluoroscopic screen, a handle therefor, and means on said handle for shielding the hands of the user from Roentgen rays.

6. A dental fluoroscope comprising a uoroscopic screen, a handle therefor, and a hollow shield on said handle adapted to accommodate the hand of the user for protecting the same from Roentgen rays.

ARMANDO F. CONTO. 

